Tehran: A 26-year-old Iranian football player Amir Nasr-Azadani is facing the threat of execution because of his association with the ongoing protests movement in the country following the death of Mahsa Amini.
International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) expressed its shock and was sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani is going to face execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country.
“We stand in solidarity with Amir and call for the immediate removal of his punishment,” FIFPRO tweeted.
As per reports, Nasr-Azadani has been sentenced to be hanged to death for the allegedly killing Colonel Esmaeil Cheraghi and two Basij members on November 17.
The warning comes after a global outcry over Iran’s execution in recent days of two young men who were arrested in connection with the protests.
Amnesty International report stated that Azadani is among six individuals who may be awaiting or facing trial on charges that carry the death penalty.
On Monday, the Iranian authorities carried out the second execution in connection with the protest movement.
23-year-old Majid Reza Rahnavard was executed in the city of Mashhad after he was convicted of killing two members of the security forces during his participation in the demonstrations.
This is the second execution linked to the protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16. The first public execution took place after 23-year-old Mohsen Shakari was hanged on December 8, convicted of wounding a member of the Basij forces.
Iran has been shaken by violent protests since September 16, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, three days after the morality police detained her in Tehran because of the country’s strict dress code.
At least 493 people have been killed since the demonstrations began in mid-September, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that’s been monitoring the protests. Another 18,424 people have been detained by authorities.
